Petition under way to ban prostitution

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2000 | 10:44 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A campaign to ban prostitution in Nevada has been launched by John Reese, a long-time opponent of the legal sex business.

Reese, who tried once before to outlaw prostitution by petition but did not gather enough signatures of registered voters, registered Wednesday with the secretary of state's office his intention to circulate an initiative petition. He needs 44,009 signatures and 10 percent of the voters in 13 of the 17 counties to qualify the issue for the ballot.

Although prostitution is illegal in Clark and Washoe counties, some rural counties allow licensed brothels to operate.

Reese, who could not be reached for comment, has a history of bizarre efforts in his fight against prostitution. Last year he staged his own disappearance in order to bring attention to his campaign against brothels. He once chained himself to a railing outside a state building to promote his cause, and he launched an idea to start a gay brothel in rural Nevada -- which never got off the ground.

He ran once for the Assembly in Washoe County but never made it past the primary election.

In his current effort, Reese acquired a copy of the petition being circulated by the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage to ban gay marriages. He inserted his call for the prostitution ban and called for the petition signature page to be returned to the coalition once it is completed.

Richard Sizer, who heads the marriage protection coalition, said it has nothing to do with the anti-prostitution initiative. He said he's trying to contact Reese to tell him to change his petition. The name of the coalition, he said, does not belong on Reese's petition.

The deadline for Reese to submit his petition with the required number of signatures is Nov. 14. It would then be presented to the 2001 Legislature, which must act within 40 days. If the Legislature rejects the plan, the issue would go on the 2002 ballot for the voters to decide.